Ken Wyatt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ken Wyatt
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Wyatt in 2014
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| Minister for Indigenous Australians | |
| In office 29 May 2019 – 23 May 2022 |
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| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Nigel Scullion |
| Succeeded by | Linda Burney |
| Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care | |
| In office 24 January 2017 – 29 May 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Himself (as assistant minister) |
| Succeeded by | Richard Colbeck |
| Minister for Indigenous Health | |
| In office 24 January 2017 – 29 May 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Warren Snowdon (2013) |
| Succeeded by | Abolished |
| Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care | |
| In office 30 September 2015 – 24 January 2017 |
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| Prime Minister | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Preceded by | Fiona Nash |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Minister for Aged Care) David Gillespie (as Assistant Minister for Health) |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Hasluck |
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| In office 21 August 2010 – 21 May 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Sharryn Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Tania Lawrence |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kenneth George Wyatt
4 August 1952 Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Independent (since 2023) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (until 2023) |
| Spouses |
Anna-Maria Palermo
(m. 2010)Roza Veskovich (div.) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Cedric Wyatt (cousin), Ben Wyatt (second cousin) |
| Occupation | Public servant |
| Profession | Teacher |
Kenneth George Wyatt (born August 4, 1952) is an important Australian former politician. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022. This is one of the two main parts of the Australian Parliament. He represented the area called Hasluck for the Liberal Party.
Ken Wyatt made history in Australia. He was the first Indigenous Australian person elected to the House of Representatives. He was also the first Indigenous person to serve as a government minister. Later, he became the first Indigenous person appointed to the Cabinet, which is a group of the most important ministers.
In January 2017, Wyatt became the Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health. Before this, he was an assistant minister starting in September 2015. In May 2019, he joined the Cabinet as Minister for Indigenous Australians. This was under the Morrison government.
At the 2022 federal election, Ken Wyatt lost his seat in Parliament. The new representative for Hasluck was Tania Lawrence from the Labor Party. On April 6, 2023, Wyatt left the Liberal Party. This was because of the party's decision to oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
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Early Life and Background
Ken Wyatt was born on August 4, 1952, in Bunbury, Western Australia. His background is a mix of English, Irish, Indian, and Indigenous Australian heritage. He was born at the Roelands Aboriginal Mission. This mission was a place where young Indigenous children were taken from their families.
His mother, Mona Abdullah, was part of the Stolen Generations. This refers to Aboriginal children who were removed from their parents. She met Ken's father, Don, at Roelands. Ken's father had Yamatji and Irish family roots. His mother had Wongi and Noongar family roots. Her last name, Abdullah, came from an ancestor who moved from India. This ancestor was a cameleer who helped build the Australian Overland Telegraph Line.
Career Before Politics
Before he became a politician, Ken Wyatt worked as a senior public servant. He focused on Aboriginal health and education. He was the Director of the WA Office of Aboriginal Health. He also held a similar job with NSW Health.
Additionally, he was the Director of Aboriginal Education for the WA Department of Education. These roles showed his dedication to improving the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Political Journey
Ken Wyatt was a member of the Moderate/Modern Liberal group within the Liberal Party.
2010–2015: First Years in Parliament
In the 2010 election, Ken Wyatt ran for the Liberal Party in the area of Hasluck. He won the seat, beating the Labor Party's Sharryn Jackson. This made him the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives. He was the third Indigenous person elected to the Australian Parliament overall. The first two were Senators Neville Bonner and Aden Ridgeway.
After his election, Ken Wyatt received some negative messages. However, he focused on his important work. On September 28, 2010, he attended the opening of the 43rd Australian Parliament. He wore a traditional Booka, which is a kangaroo skin coat with feathers. This coat was given to him by Noongar elders. It showed his leadership role in Noongar culture.
He gave his first speech to Parliament on September 29. Both the government and opposition members, along with the public, gave him a standing ovation. This showed great respect for his achievement.
2015–2019: Becoming a Minister
On September 20, 2015, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Ken Wyatt would become Assistant Minister for Health. This made him the first Indigenous person to hold a frontbench position in federal parliament. A frontbencher is a minister or shadow minister.
His responsibilities grew over time. In February 2016, he also became responsible for aged care. Then, on January 24, 2017, he became the first Indigenous Australian appointed as a full Australian Government Minister. He was given the important jobs of Aged Care and the new role of Indigenous Health.
2019–2022: Minister for Indigenous Australians
Ken Wyatt kept his seat in the May 2019 federal election. After the election, he was appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians. This was in the Second Morrison Ministry. He was the first Indigenous person to hold this important position. He was also elevated to the Cabinet, meaning he was part of the government's most senior decision-making group.
In July 2019, he gave a speech about "Voice. Treaty. Truth." This was the theme for NAIDOC Week that year. He spoke about creating a "consensus option for constitutional recognition". This would be put to a vote by the public. He also talked about developing a local, regional, and national voice for Indigenous people. He mentioned that states and territories should lead the work on [Indigenous] Treaty. He also wanted to work on "truth-telling" about Australia's history.
In January 2022, Wyatt announced that the federal government had gained copyright over the Australian Aboriginal flag. This happened after talks with the flag's designer, Harold Thomas.
At the 2022 federal election, Ken Wyatt lost his seat to the Labor candidate Tania Lawrence.
Indigenous Voice to Government
On October 30, 2019, Ken Wyatt announced a plan to create an "Indigenous voice to government". This process was called "co-design". A group of leaders and experts helped develop ideas for this Voice. The first meeting of this group was held in Canberra on November 13, 2019.
In June 2022, the Liberal Party in Western Australia voted against the Voice. Ken Wyatt said he was very disappointed by this decision. He felt it did not match the values he believed in.
2023: Leaving the Liberal Party
In March 2023, Ken Wyatt stood with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and others. They announced the proposed wording for the constitutional change about the Voice.
On April 6, 2023, Ken Wyatt resigned from the Liberal Party. This was because the party decided to support the "No" vote in the Voice referendum. He said he still believed in the Liberal Party's values. However, he felt the party had changed. He stated that "Aboriginal people are reaching out to be heard but the Liberals have rejected their invitation."
Honours and Awards
- 1996: He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his work in Aboriginal health.
- 2001: He received the Centenary Medal.
Other Activities
In 2019, Ken Wyatt gave the Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture at the University of New England. His talk was about "Teaching Indigenous Australia – Understanding our past and unlocking our future."
Personal Life
Ken Wyatt first married Roza Veskovich when he was 21. She was a librarian. They had two sons. They separated after 25 years, partly because of his frequent work travel. One of his sons is a professional classical musician.
In December 2010, Ken Wyatt married Anna-Maria Palermo. They met at an education conference and married in Italy.
Ken Wyatt's cousin, Cedric Wyatt, was an Australian public servant. He also advocated for Indigenous rights. Cedric's son, Ben Wyatt, is Ken's second cousin. Ben was a Labor politician and served as the Treasurer of Western Australia. He was also Western Australia's Aboriginal Affairs Minister. This meant Ken, as the federal Indigenous Australians Minister, was his counterpart.
